Military, Parliament discuss Fonseka

21 April 2010 01:18 pm

By Gandhya Senannayake


The military is in discussion with the Parliamentary Secretary General regarding the attendance of General Sarath Fonseka at the first session of the new parliament which is scheduled to be held tomorrow, Military Spokesperson Prasad Samarasinghe told Daily Mirror online. 

The General is currently detained at the Navy headquarters and in the midst of court martial hearings. Parliament’s acting Secretary General Dhamika Kithulegoda in a letter to the Defence Secretary, this week, had informed him that retired General Sarath Fonseka, elected to parliament from the Colombo district, had been invited to attend Thursday’s inaugural sessions where the election of the Speaker would take place.

He had also forwarded the gazetted list of members elected to parliament, which includes the name of General Fonseka and the letters sent to him by Democratic National Alliance (DNA) general secretary Vijitha Herath and General Fonseka’s lawyer Sunil Watagala.

Mr. Herath and Mr. Watagala in their letters to Mr. Kithulegoda requested him to make arrangements for General Fonseka to attend the inaugural sessions.

President Mahinda Rajapaka is reported to have told United National Front (UNF) leader Ranil Wickremesinghe on Monday that there was nothing to prevent General Fonseka from attending parliament.  (Daily Mirror online)